I remember being five years old and I was sitting in the car with my mom. She was flipping through the radio stations, and she stopped at a slow ballad. The lyrics, “And I will always love you,” sang and the sound of Whitney Houston’s powerful and impeccable voice filled the car. Although I was only five and did not fully understand the meaning of love just yet, I was infatuated by this song. This was the first time I ever heard something so great.

Some students were very inspired by Houston’s music and were shocked by her untimely death. Junior Christina Philip is a member of Master’s choir now and recalls why Houston inspired her.

“She is an inspiration because she sang so many songs that we all know and love today,” Philip says. Last year, she sang “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” in chambers choir. She described singing that song as fun and powerful.

Another student, junior Marie Mandley  looked up to Houston and grew up listening to her music.

“Her music was so influential to millions around the world and one day I hope to be a fraction of the artist that she was,” she said.

Houston passed away at the age of 48 on Saturday, Feb. 11 in a Beverly Hills Hotel room. The causes of her death are still unknown. She was under media fire for her tumultuous marriage to ex-husband, singer, Bobby Brown and her addiction to drugs. Without focusing on the unpleasant part of her life, Houston had an incredible career. She has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, won six Grammy awards and two Emmy awards, and Guinness World Records named her the most awarded female act of all time. I think it’s safe to say that Houston left an impeccable legacy and will go down in history as one of the greatest artists in history.